Hundreds of Ukrainian marches target Moscow and deaths in a Russian attack on Kiev news

Ukraine launched more than 430 drones towards Moscow, on Monday night, according to what the mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin, announced, while 28 people were killed as a result of a Russian attack on Ukraine, ahead of the start of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, today, Tuesday, with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a guest.

Sobyanin wrote on social media, “From the evening until six in the morning, more than 430 drones flew towards the Moscow region, most of which were neutralized by the Air Force at long distances, and 36 enemy drones were destroyed as they approached Moscow.”

Acting Governor of the Russian Belgorod Province, Alexander Shuvaev, had announced – earlier today, Tuesday – that one person had been killed in the province as a result of “repeated” Ukrainian missile strikes, which led to a fire breaking out in an infrastructure facility.

These Ukrainian strikes come the day after an intense Russian bombing campaign on Kiev, which resulted in the deaths of at least 26 people in the capital and its environs.

Kyiv demands decisive decisions

On the eve of the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Zelensky called on the alliance to take “decisive decisions” to strengthen his country’s air defenses.

The Ukrainian president described the strikes that targeted the capital and its surroundings as a “brutal attack,” noting that 26 people were killed in Kiev and its region, while two people were killed as a result of a drone attack that targeted a gas station in the Zaporozhye region in the southeast of the country, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

Zelensky said that he relied greatly on the outcomes of the NATO summit in Ankara, adding that they should lead to more than “hollow practices” and provide greater protection for Ukraine in the face of escalating Russian attacks.

Ukrainian emergency services said that rescue teams continue to search for survivors under the rubble of residential buildings destroyed by the bombing, while Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko announced that about 30 buildings were damaged across the capital.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sipha confirmed that the bodies of an entire family – including two parents and their child – had been recovered from under the rubble.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said yesterday, Monday, that its forces carried out a “huge” attack on Kiev and other sites with long-range, precision-guided weapons and drones launched from the air, land and sea.

She added that the attack targeted military and energy facilities in Kiev and the surrounding area, as well as military air bases in several regions of Ukraine.

Lack of air defenses

Ukrainian Air Force data showed that during the attack, Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones, and that air defenses intercepted 37 missiles and 326 drones, but failed to shoot down any of the 23 ballistic missiles, which highlighted the severe shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles.

Zelensky said that air defenses achieve high interception rates for drones and cruise missiles when interceptor missiles are available, but he acknowledged that there are clear gaps in confronting ballistic missiles.

He added that Ukraine has the ability to produce air defense systems if it obtains American licenses to manufacture Patriot missiles, noting that this will provide protection for Ukraine and also support its partners.

The Ukrainian president called on the Western allies to expedite the provision of air defense systems to his country, saying that the presence of Patriot missiles in the warehouses of allied countries encourages Russia to continue targeting residential areas.

Zelensky repeatedly calls for the availability of more interception systems capable of shooting down ballistic projectiles, which are usually difficult to stop due to their high speed and sharp trajectory.

He said in his daily video address yesterday evening, Monday, “It is illogical that production in our contemporary world has not yet risen to the level required to provide effective protection for the people from ballistic missile terrorism.”

Attack on a Russian refinery

On the other hand, the Ukrainian army announced the implementation of a drone attack targeting the Omsk refinery, which is the largest oil refinery in Russia, located deep in Siberia, about 2,700 kilometers from the territory controlled by Kiev.

The General Staff said that the attack led to a fire in the refinery, and the governor of the Omsk region confirmed the attack, noting that Russian air defenses shot down most of the drones, and that no human casualties were recorded.

Zelensky described the operation as “an important achievement for the Ukrainian armed forces,” saying that “Siberia, too, is now within the range of Ukrainian precision strikes.”

The Ukrainian company Firepoint, which specializes in defense technology, said that its advanced FB-1 drones carried out the attack, describing it as a record for attack drones “not only in Ukraine, but globally.”

The solution is closer

US President Donald Trump said yesterday, Monday, that reaching a solution to the war that has been raging in Ukraine for more than 4 years is “closer than people imagine,” indicating that he will address the Ukraine issue during the NATO summit.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he believes “the solution to the conflict is closer than people think. President Vladimir Putin wants to end it. I’m telling you that for sure.”

Trump made these statements after speaking over the weekend with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he believes the American position on how to resolve the conflict remains unchanged.

But Zelensky said in an interview with the Financial Times that he believes Trump is looking at the conflict from a new angle in light of recent “Ukrainian successes.”

These developments come on the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara, where Zelensky is scheduled to meet Trump, in an attempt to obtain more military support and revive efforts to end the war that has been ongoing for more than 4 years.